Happy Birthday, Baby Brother
by shewarbler
Summary: While life continues as normal for most boys in Dalton Academy, Dwight Houston deals with the time of year which causes him the most pain. But maybe this year he doesn't have to do it alone. Characters based on Dalton by CP Coulter, aka the story which continues to rule my life on a daily basis.
1. Part 1

**I rattled this up in like...two days while on holiday, with no WiFi and a whole bunch of Spotify to work my way through. I gave myself so many ideas while listening to loads of music that I had to get them out somehow. And so, this was born.**

 **It was initially all in one long document but after reading over it a couple times it works better broken up, considering things happen over the space of like...a week? Something like that.**

 **Anyway! Enjoy a whole bunch of Thomas Dwight Houston feelings with all your fave ships thrown in for good measure.**

 **I always rattle on in these things...**

 **Let me know what you think in reviews!**

* * *

 **Part 1**

Five bodies stood squashed together in a corridor of Windsor house trying to see through the crack they had made in the door, frowns etched on their faces as they analysed what they could see. The entire room was cast in shadows, the only light coming from a small desk lamp in the corner. Scrunched up balls of paper and empty Mountain Dew bottles littered the floor surrounding the bed. Dwight lay on top of it staring at the ceiling, lost in thought and oblivious to the prying eyes at the door. His fingers traced aimless patterns over a well-worn book lying at his side, his "hunter's journal" – which no one was allowed to touch for fear of extreme physical harm.

"Is he alright..?" Reed whispered, nudging David a little so he could see into the room better.

"I dunno, he isn't really moving…" David replied, looking at Dwight.

"Is he even _breathing_?" Wes asked, scrunching his eyes in an attempt to see into the dimness.

"Maybe we should stage a possession. That should get his attention?" Evan offered helpfully, his twin nodding in agreement.

Dwight turned his head to face the sounds, slightly amused at the sight before him. The Windsor boys had their heads stacked together comically, resembling a totem pole as they attempted to see through the gap in his ajar door. He admired their concern, but he didn't think there was much they could do that he couldn't provide for himself. Dwight sighed and went back to staring at the ceiling, ignoring the murmurs.

Blaine rounded the corner and frowned at the mass of boys hovering outside Dwight's room. "What's going on? What have you done to Dwight now?" he asked suspiciously as he joined them, trying to peer through their heads.

"Nothing, we swear! But he hasn't even come out of his room in a couple days now - we're starting to get worried." Ethan replied and shuffled over a little to let Blaine see, who hummed in agreement to the situation. Blaine also felt concerned at the sight of the Hunter in his room.

Shane's voice bellowed down the corridor, "Hey guys! Been looking all over for you!" he skidded to a stop next to his brother and smiled charmingly at Reed when his head popped out of the group at the sound of Shane's voice. "What are you all looking at?" Blaine shushed him in annoyance, not wanting to attract Dwight's attention even though he wasn't sure why they were (sort of) hiding in the first place. Shane crouched down next to Reed and wriggled against him to see inside. "Ooooh I see…this can't be good." he whispered, Reed nodding in response.

Kurt appeared next, and although part of him didn't really want to find out what was going on, he figured he better make sure there was nothing _too_ troublesome happening. He popped his head over Blaine's shoulder, who gave a small smile to his presence. "What am I missing here?" he asked, "Have the Twins planted another baby monitor in Dwight's room? Because I'm pretty sure we all remember how badly that went last time. I didn't get a bed to myself for about a week after that."

While everyone winced at the memory, Blaine responded quietly, "No, no one knows what's going on. But I'm getting a little concerned".

"Well now you mention it, I haven't seen him outside of his room all that much lately." Kurt agreed, unable to see inside Dwight's room but sensing the worry from his friends. "Has anyone thought of, just maybe, actually _talking_ to him? I bet that would be a good place to start." Kurt suggested to the group. Silence greeted him. "Oh for goodness sake, budge over, I'll go talk to him." Kurt tried to make his way forward to get into Dwight's room, but a small voice coming from inside made him stop.

"Please do not cross the salt line." The defeated tone to Dwight's voice was what made Kurt stop more than the actual request. He had his hand on the doorknob and his toes touched the salt, but he didn't go any further, sensing genuine discomfort from Dwight.

He softened his voice before reaching out to his friend, "Dwight…I won't come in, but do you want to tell us what's going on? We can help." Mumbles of agreement from the other boys supported his statement. Reed worried his lip between his teeth when there was no response, and the Twins held a silent conversation in their glances to each other.

At some point during the silence that followed Charlie had materialised behind the group of boys, eyebrow raised and arms crossed, waiting for them to realise he was there. When no one did he cleared his throat loudly, smirking in amusement when they all jumped in unison. The boys automatically separated and turned to face their prefect.

"Dare I ask what you're all doing here?" he prompted, patiently waiting for a response.

They all looked between themselves for a moment before Reed spoke up. He motioned toward Dwight's door, "Dwight hasn't come out of his room for a few days now, and he won't talk to any of us…we're just a little worried about him. More than usual, I mean." The rest of them nodded in agreement.

Charlie broke his gaze away from the boys and looked into Dwight's room, gathering as much information as he could in one sweep. When his eyes fell on the journal at Dwight's side highlighted by the light coming through the door, his expression softened a little. He glanced at his watch, an action so brief that most of the boys missed it, and seemed to be lost in consideration for a moment. He finally nodded to himself and moved forward, closing the door silently in one smooth movement. Turning back to the boys Charlie's expression was etched with serious tones, and he made a point of holding eye contact with each boy as he spoke.

"I want you all to listen to me very carefully right now, and do not question what I am about to say," he paused, "You are to leave Dwight alone for the next couple days. Do not bother him in any way, even if your intentions are to help. Unless he comes to you, you are not to pester him to talk. And when he emerges you are to act like normal – well, at least as normal as you lot can be. Understand?" his eye contact was unwavering as he looked at all the boys – it was almost unnerving.

Everyone but the Twins nodded, who continued to look troubled as they glanced back to Dwight's door.

"Evan, Ethan, the same terms apply to you." Charlie said, catching their exchange. When their expressions didn't change, Charlie sighed. "Look, guys, I know you're all worried, but can you please just do as I ask? If not for me, do it for Dwight? If it helps, I know what's bothering with him." He continued to speak over the beginnings of protests from the Windsor's, not willing to argue with them, "But it's not my place to bring it up. If Dwight wants to talk about it, let him come to you. I think this is maybe just something he needs to work through by himself. We can all be here for him if he needs us."

The Twins still didn't look completely convinced, but nodded slightly as Charlie finished speaking. "Now on you go, shoo, the lot of you. I'm sure you have work to be doing." He gestured for them all to move along, away from Dwight's door.

The group broke off in different directions, following orders, but Charlie caught Blaine's elbow before he could disappear after Kurt. "Blaine, can I have a word?"

"Sure." Blaine replied. He turned to Kurt, sensing Charlie wanted privacy, "Um, I'll get you in my room?" Kurt glanced briefly between the two boys but said nothing, smiling in response, and disappeared down the corridor.

Once they were alone Charlie spoke, but even then it was just above a whisper, "I'm only telling you this because I feel he may come to you over anyone else, but this stays between us." The prefect still looked serious but his eyes softened as he continued, "If I remember correctly…Alan's birthday is coming up in the next week, and I don't think Dwight is going home, so I guess he's unsure how to handle it this year. Can you just…make sure the rest of the guys give him some peace? And if he does come to you…" Charlie trailed off and shrugged, looking back at the younger boys' door, "Listen to him, I guess? I don't know what he might need but I think he might see you as the person most likely to understand."

And Blaine did understand. Ever since Shane's scare with the landslide, Blaine had been able to relate just the tiniest bit to how Dwight must have felt. Or rather _, is_ feeling, as Blaine thought Dwight continued to carry the pain of losing Alan with him every day. Except Blaine didn't lose Shane - he got his brother back. Something Dwight would never have the opportunity to experience. It almost made Blaine feel guilty sometimes.

So yes, Blaine could do this for Dwight. Whether the younger boy sought out his help or not, Blaine would always be there for him. Blaine looked at Charlie intently as he spoke, "I can do that. If he emerges, I'll make sure I'm around."

His response seemed to satisfy Charlie, who nodded and gave Blaine's shoulder a gentle squeeze. With one last glance at Dwight's door, they both headed down the corridor to discover what trouble the rest of the House was already getting up to.

* * *

From inside his room, Dwight silently thanked Charlie. He knew his friends only wanted the best for him, but he wasn't ready to talk about his feelings and he didn't have the energy to pretend like everything was okay, so he was grateful that Charlie asked them to back off for now.

Dwight was positive Charlie knew why he was upset. Ever since the year he requested to go home for…this…Charlie had always been more sympathetic to his needs around this time. _We really don't give him the credit he deserves…_

Dwight picked up his journal again, flicking through it until he found pictures of a birthday party. Goofy smiles lit up the pages, and Dwight smiled sadly as he traced his younger brothers' glowing face, wishing more than anything he was here so they could celebrate another birthday together.


	2. Part 2

**Part 2**

The following day Dwight found himself pacing back and forth in front of Blaine's dorm room, clutching tightly onto his Hunters journal. "This is stupid…so stupid…even if he does understand…no way he's going to be able to help…I should just forget about it…no point dragging other people into this…"

Dwight stopped his pitiful monologue, sighed and turned to face the door. _You don't get anything in life without asking…_ He swallowed hard and raised his fist to knock, but before he could the door opened and he was suddenly staring at Blaine, who stopped shrugging on his jacket when Dwight made a rather undignified noise.

"Dwight! Hi! I didn't hear you knock." Blaine said, surprised to see him outside his door. He paused for a moment, considering his next moves. "Do you…um…do you want to come in?" he asked, moving aside to let Dwight past.

Dwight nodded briefly and slipped inside, noting Blaine's appearance as he did. _Not in uniform, he must be busy. Probably a date? I knew this was a bad idea..._ "Thanks. But if you're busy Blaine I can…I can come back later. It's not that important, anyway. Really." Dwight said, gesturing to Blaine's jeans and polo shirt.

Blaine shrugged a little, "It's nothing that can't be rescheduled. Plus, it's nice to see you. Sit down, make yourself at home. Tell me what I can do for you." He smiled charmingly and sat on his couch, clearing space for Dwight to sit by him.

While Dwight got settled Blaine pulled out his phone and sent off a quick text to Kurt: _Sorry, going to have to cancel lunch :( Dwight appeared at my door and he looks like he wants to talk. Keep the boys amused for a bit? I'll make it up to you. Promise. Love xo"_. He slipped it back into his pocket just as Dwight glanced at him nervously.

"I wondered if…if I could talk to you about something." Blaine nodded and he continued, "It's about…Alan. My little brother." Dwight avoided eye contact as he spoke.

Although a little surprised, Blaine didn't let it show. He toed off his shoes and sat cross-legged on the couch, hoping he could make Dwight a little more comfortable using his body language. He smiled softly and ducked his head to look at Dwight, unsure how to breach the topic. Dwight met his eyes and the glint of hope within them made Blaine's heart tighten a little as he watched Dwight struggle to find a place to start.

"You know…" Blaine said, hoping to ease Dwight's discomfort, "I still have that little bag of rock salt you gave me when we first met. I keep it in my bedside drawer. In case of emergencies, stuff like that. You're good at helping to protect us."

Dwight nodded in agreement, but said nothing. He hated how nervous he was sitting here. He didn't know what to say or how to start a conversation he wasn't really sure they should be having, but something made him stay in Blaine's room. Something within Dwight was prompting him to talk. His leg bounced and his hands clung tightly onto his journal, but he licked his dry lips and started talking about things he hadn't said out loud for years. Blaine simply listened, as it seemed that once Dwight started talking he wasn't going to stop.

"It's his birthday this week you know," he said, still not looking at Blaine, "He would have been thirteen. A teenager. Can you imagine the crowds of girls chasing after this cute little fella? I know I can." Dwight opened his journal and passed a photo to Blaine.

Blaine smiled softly as he looked at it, taking in the happy expressions of two young boys, clearly brothers, who looked so alike regardless of their age difference. Blaine knew which one was Dwight - he thought that he would recognise those sparkling brown eyes anywhere. The other boy, a miniature version of Dwight, had sea blue eyes and a freckled nose and hugged onto the taller boy tightly. They both wore identical grins and proudly held matching pendants up for the camera to see.

"That was his seventh birthday. I got him a pendant the same as mine seeing as he was constantly asking to wear it. It made him so happy." Dwight sighed as he took the photo back, "At least, until…That was his last birthday party." He tucked the photo back into the worn pages.

Blaine was surprised when Dwight looked right at him when he spoke next, "I miss him every day Blaine. I wonder, if he were still here would he be proud of the person I am? Would he still look up to me? And honestly Blaine, I'm not sure he would. I carry around so much…so much _anger_ about what happened to him. And it wasn't fair what happened, it still isn't, but it's _exhausting_. I can't keep going on like this."

Blaine could hear the pain in Dwight's voice as he spoke but he kept a soft, neutral expression on his face, nodding sombrely. When he spoke next, Dwight's eyes glimmered with determination, "I want to celebrate Alan's birthday this year. And I don't want to be…like this, when I do." He gestured aimlessly to himself, "I want to celebrate the life he had, not the life he's missing."

He opened his journal to a specific page and handed it to Blaine after a little hesitation. Blaine glanced over the page, skimming Dwight's cursive handwriting, and frowned when he thought he realised what it was. "Dwight, are these..?"

"Potential song lyrics? Yes. I wanted to put my feelings to good use for a change and try expressing them in a semi-normal way, like you guys do or something. Anyway, I've been working on this for a while and although I finally have the words down, I'm no good at playing music and I'm certainly not able to write it. But I'd like to be able to finish this, for Alan. Almost like…like a birthday present…for him. A tribute." Dwight trailed off, looking embarrassed.

Blaine's smile broadened as he put the pieces together and began to read the lyrics. He nodded slightly, impressed at the verses and looked at Dwight again, gesturing to the pages, "Are you asking me to help you write the music for this, Dwight?"

"No. I'm asking if _you_ will write the music for it." Dwight said sheepishly, "But if you can't I get it. I know you're busy with Warblers and classes and Kurt and other important stuff." He dismissed the task quickly, moving to take back his journal, but Blaine retracted it a little.

"Don't be so quick to dismiss things, Dwight." He smiled at his friend and fixed him with a meaningful look, "I would love to write the music for you. What kind of melody are you thinking?" When Dwight looked puzzled, Blaine chuckled and rephrased, "When you hear the song in your head, what kind of music is with it?"

Dwight shrugged a little, looking contemplative for a moment before he spoke, "It's a soft tune, on an acoustic guitar. Nothing massive or loud. And maybe a little piano?"

Blaine hummed curiously, sounds already forming in his head, "Can I hang onto the journal? Your words are…" he struggled to find an adequate word, so settled for a sweeping statement, "I really like it."

Dwight looked at Blaine with slightly raised eyebrows, a little surprised that he was so willing to help and definitely surprised that he liked Dwight's work. "Sure. Just, um, keep it safe? There are important things inside it."

"Of course I will." Blaine said as he stood, moving to his desk and placing the journal inside a drawer – conveniently next to his bag of rock salt.

Dwight stood to leave at the same time, but as he reached the door Blaine called to him, "Dwight…thank you. For talking to me, I mean. We were all worried about you and why you wouldn't talk. I understand obviously, but I'm glad you're not trying to deal with this alone." Dwight shrugged a little and both boys smiled as he left, each feeling a strange sense of warmth.

From inside the safety of his room Blaine had to chuckle as a Nerf war broke out down the corridor, the sounds of Evan and Ethan yelling to Dwight for back up as Wes and David's almighty battle cry roared through the house. He was glad to hear Dwight join in, demanding that the Twins gear up as their voices drifted away. Blaine sighed, exasperated at the madness of Windsor house and headed to the desk, picking up his guitar in the process – he had work to do.

* * *

Kurt knocked lightly on Blaine's door and waited a moment before he pushed it open, peeking past it to see if his boyfriend was inside. He saw Blaine sitting at his desk, guitar in his lap and surrounded by sheet music. He didn't seem to hear Kurt come in as he jumped slightly when Kurt wrapped his arms around his shoulders.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I did knock." He said as he gave Blaine a soft kiss on the cheek.

"No I'm sorry, I didn't hear you." He smiled and nuzzled against Kurt a little, enjoying the embrace.

Kurt eyed the papers surrounding Blaine, curious to know what he had been so engrossed in, "What are you working on anyway? You've been awfully quiet. No more surprise Top 40 I hope." He smirked as Blaine pouted.

"My talents reach much further than that thank you very much. Top 40 is just for fun. Besides, who doesn't love Katy Perry?!" Blaine replied, hastily covering up Dwight's journal and the sheet music he had been writing on. He put down his guitar and turned to face Kurt properly, smiling and pulling him down to sit on his lap. "I haven't meant to be distant, just been busy. How are things? I haven't heard any explosions yet, which must be a good sign."

Kurt laughed, "Well, how about we go for a walk and I update you on the madness you've missed since being holed up in here? I'm concerned that you're avoiding daylight. We can't have you turning into a vampire – that will do nothing for Dwight's mind-set." He stood and offered Blaine his hands, hauling the smaller boy to his feet.

Blaine laughed casually, the mere mention of Dwight's name bringing up his guilty feelings. It had been two days since their conversation, and Blaine was no further forward in developing music for Dwight. Blaine wasn't _actively_ avoiding him, but he didn't want to have to admit that he hadn't made any progress. Part of him was relieved to be spending time with Kurt, away from sheet music, however it also increased the guilt that he hadn't told his boyfriend about his project. Even though Dwight hadn't sworn him to secrecy, Blaine felt it wasn't his place to share the story quite yet.

But for now, Blaine would take a break and enjoy some much-needed time with Kurt. Who knew, maybe the fresh air would do him good after all.


	3. Part 3

**It's worth mentioning that the song used in this story** _ **is not**_ **actually an original song. I'll post the details of it at the beginning of the next chapter!**

* * *

 **Part 3**

Shane was walking to the closet at the end of the hall, head buried in his phone as he tried to make plans with Reed when he encountered the sound. They were supposed to go on a date this weekend, but seeing as how neither boy seemed to actually have free time _at the same time,_ the task was proving more difficult than he initially thought. He was so preoccupied with writing a text that he almost missed the music coming from an open door in the corridor. But when a very familiar voice started singing, he stopped and listened. Shane was surprised to hear his brother singing. Considering that most of Windsor was in the common room preparing for a movie night, or gathering supplies for said night, he wondered what Blaine was up to. But something about the tone of Blaine's voice made him stop just short of the doorway, and he hovered just out of sight from the room to listen more closely.

Blaine was strumming his guitar, playing a soft melody as he sang.

 _Could you beam me up,_

 _Give me a minute, I don't know what I'd say in it…_

Shane didn't recognise the song, but considering his knowledge of music was significantly lesser than his brothers' he wasn't too surprised. Something about Blaine's voice sounded odd, but he couldn't put his finger on it, so put it down to not knowing the song.

 _I'd probably just stare, happy just to be there, holding your face,_

 _Beam me up…_

Blaine stopped playing suddenly and huffed in annoyance, followed by the sound of a piece of paper being scrunched and tossed away. Shane could hear a pencil tapping against his guitar, and took the opportunity to make his presence known.

"You know you're supposed to use the strings to make the music, not the wood, right?" he said sarcastically, leaning against the door frame and grinning at his brother.

"Shane!" Blaine said in surprise, whirling around to look at his brother, "How long have you been standing there?" he looked alarmed.

"Long enough to know something isn't quite right with that song you were just playing. What was it anyway? I haven't heard it before. Although that isn't surprising I guess." Shane asked, sauntering into his brothers' room and flopping down on his bed.

"It's nothing, just something I'm working on for…for Sectionals." Blaine dismissed the question, putting his guitar away and shuffling sheet music together, "What are you doing here anyway? Isn't there a Blade Runner marathon? I thought you'd be busy with that." He tried to deflect the attention away from his music, but Shane saw right through his attempts.

"Oh I am. I was sent to get extra pillows from the closet cause there are more of us than expected. But David still isn't back from seeing Katherine so we aren't starting for another half hour. Now, stop deflecting." Shane raised an eyebrow, "Want to tell me why you're so defensive all of a sudden?"

"I'm not defensive. I'm just not sharing." Blaine quipped, walking over to his desk and fidgeting with the papers there.

Shane sat on the edge of the bed, sensing something was genuinely upsetting his brother and dropped the comedy from his voice, "Blaine, what's wrong? Is it Kurt? He did say you two hadn't been spending much time together lately. You know I'll take your side no matter what. And I will not hesitate to kick his pretty little ass, even if you are the wrong one."

Blaine sighed and turned to face Shane, sitting on the edge of his desk, "It's not Kurt. We're fine. Although I admit I haven't seen him much." He looked up to the ceiling as though searching for his next words. "Did it really sound that bad? I've been working on it for days and that's what I've come up with." He sounded defeated.

Shane considered him for a moment: his tired eyes and the way he rubbed at his fingertips signs of someone who had been playing guitar for hours on end. He thought carefully before he responded, keen to avoid sounding too harsh, "It wasn't bad, per se, just sounded…odd. Like something was missing. Why don't you tell me the song? Maybe if I can listen to the original I could give you some pointers?"

Blaine was avoiding eye contact, which was never a good sign. "Blaine, what's going on? You know you can talk to me." He walked toward his brother who looked at him now, surprised at the genuine concern in his voice. Blaine rolled his eyes and turned away again, picking up the sheet music.

"Stop looking so concerned, it doesn't suit you. It's nothing bad Shane, not like you're thinking anyway. I'm just…having creative issues." Blaine said, waving the paper in the air. He hesitated again, but after a moment hastily shoved them into Shane's hands. "I can't let you listen to the original because this _is_ the original." Blaine walked to the bed, sitting down and resting his elbows on his knees, staring at the floor.

Shane was taken aback for a moment before he began scanning the pages Blaine had thrust at him, "Blaine is this…this is original stuff? Did you write this?" his eyebrows rose slowly as he read the words, impressed at the emotion within them. His brother was usually more Top 40.

"Original yes, but I didn't write it. Someone else did. I'm just supposed to compose for them. I've been asked to write music for this and it's really important and I'm just…stuck." He hung his head and Shane moved to crouch in front of him.

"Hey, you said it yourself - you're just stuck. So let's unstick you." He smiled, gesturing to the papers, "This is pretty good stuff you know, the lyrics I mean. Who wrote it? Maybe they can help solve -"

"No!" Blaine said suddenly, sitting upright, "No, I don't want them to know I'm struggling. It's too important to them."

Shane sighed and sat next to Blaine on the bed, forcing his brother to look at him, "Blaine, this is clearly bothering you. And if it's so important, let me help. Wouldn't you rather ask for help, and do the best you can than crash and burn, and disappoint?" He knew his words were harsh, but that they would hit home.

Blaine held his gaze and for a moment Shane thought he would lash out. But when he spoke his voice was calm and even, "Alright…alright. It's for Dwight. You remember he had a brother - Alan?" Shane nodded. "Well, it's his birthday this week and Dwight wanted to do something special to celebrate it. He came to me with some lyrics and asked if I could make it into a song for him."

"Woah," Shane said slowly, "Talk about pressure."

Blaine laughed quietly, "You have no idea. I really want to help him express his feelings Shane. He's fought through so much and he deserves some happiness. I want to be able to give him that, but I'm so stuck!"

They fell into silence for a moment, both lost in thought before Shane spoke again, "Well, if you want my help I'm gonna need to hear the whole thing aren't I? I can't read sheet music for shit, but I can definitely tell you what sounds good and what sounds…less good."

Shane grinned and Blaine was given yet another example of how amazing his brothers' ability to overcome challenges was; the way he was always willing to face them head on. He smiled back and felt a little relieved to have someone to work with as he picked up his guitar again and began to play the song to Shane, singing along quietly.

Shane listened intently, taking in every word and chord, considering them carefully. He was incredibly impressed by the tenderness his brother used to express the words, and the rhythms he was using fitted well, but still there was just something missing. When Blaine finished Shane remained quiet for a while, contemplating his words.

"I like it." Shane said eventually, but didn't say any more.

Blaine looked concerned, "But..?" he asked, prompting him to continue, "I thought you were going to tell me where I was going wrong."

"I don't think you're doing anything wrong. What I mean is, it's not _you_ who needs to change anything, but maybe we just need to add something." Shane comforted his brother when his expression looked pained, "Leave it with me. I'll have a think during the marathon. Are you going to come along? If the way Reed has said he's been going on is anything to go by, I think Kurt would be happy to see you. Looks like you could use a break too. I know you don't particularly like the movies, but I figured you could just cuddle up with Kurt. Like Reed will with me." He grinned happily as he remembered a night of cuddling lay ahead of him.

Blaine looked guilty at the mention of Kurt, glancing in the general direction of his phone. Shane's smile softened as he spoke again, "Tell you what. I can delay the start for another ten minutes or so. Why don't you jump in the shower and come down in your comfy clothes while I get pillows and your favourite snacks. Oreos and red vines sound good to you?" he nudged Blaine, making him look up.

Blaine nodded in response, "Yeah that sounds good. Thanks, Shane. I just really don't want to disappoint Dwight. Not with this." He stood and headed to the bathroom, "I won't be long."

Shane stood to leave, but stopped when Blaine's head popped back out from the bathroom, "Hey, can you maybe not tell Kurt I'm coming down? I think I'd like to surprise him."

Shane waggled his eyebrows, "Sure. Just remember to wear underwear alright?" Blaine rolled his eyes, made a noise of discontent and closed the bathroom door.

Shane hovered for a moment, deliberating his next actions. Throwing caution to the wind, he bundled up the sheet music and hurried out the room, hoping to catch the boys he needed before the movies started up.

* * *

A few hours later, when the boys had taken a break to refill on snacks and drinks and take necessary bathroom breaks, Blaine stood in the kitchen having an intense conversation with his brother. The night had been good so far, and even though Blaine hadn't really paid much attention to the first movie, he had thoroughly enjoyed being wrapped up in Kurt's arms, feeling more relaxed than he had in days. At least he had until he had spoken to Shane.

"You did _what?!_ " he hissed at Shane.

Shane shrugged, looking at Blaine with wide eyes full of innocence, "What? I told you I would help, this is me helping!"

Blaine stared at him incredulously, "No, Shane, you said you would _think on it_! I took that as meaning you would, you know, think about it and then get back to me!"

"I did! I thought about it, I implemented it, and now I'm getting back to you!" Shane pleaded his case. Becoming increasingly aware of the curious eyes and ears from the rest of the boys in the kitchen, Shane lowered his voice a little, "Look, I figured out what was missing when I was listening to you sing. It needs to be emotional. And that's not me saying your voice doesn't have emotion, it has plenty, but it needs…more of it. Levels of emotion, or something."

Blaine continued to stare, unable to comprehend why his brother would reveal their personal conversation. Shane seemed to read his mind, as when he spoke next he defended his actions, "Hey, you never said I couldn't tell anyone. I know it was personal, and I'm sorry for blabbing, but I honestly believe this is what the song needs." His eyes were soft as he continued, "You said you didn't want to disappoint Dwight, and that you wanted him to know you cared. Then surely the best way to do that is to…include all the people that care about him." Shane gestured behind Blaine, and as he turned he saw the Windsor Warblers hovering in the doorway.

His anger lessened a little as he took in their concerned expressions. Kurt, Wes and David, Reed and the Twins stood together, watching Blaine's conversation with Shane. All of them looked like they wanted to say something although none of them did. Shane continued when no one spoke, "These guys all care about Dwight, and they want to help. I think they're the levels you're missing Blaine." He moved to join the boys, smiling as he stood with them.

"We," Evan said, "We're the levels you're missing." He placed a hand on Shane's shoulder, giving the younger boy a small smile as Ethan nudged him from the other side.

They all looked at Blaine, each one wearing the same expression of hope and love, willing him to let them help. Blaine couldn't resist them any longer. He dropped his arms to his sides and sagged in defeat, sighing as they all broke out into smiles.

"Fine," he started, "Meet me in the music hall tomorrow evening and I'll show you what I've been working on. But not a word to Dwight!" he felt his stomach twist a little in guilt, "I'm not sure how he'll react when he finds out other people know."

They all nodded in agreement and pulled Blaine into a giant group hug, which he pretended to resist only for a moment before he smiled and hugged back. Although his methods may need improving, Shane was right, as usual. These boys cared for each other so much that it was obvious they would want to help when one of them was hurting, and Blaine was a little surprised he hadn't considered the idea himself.

* * *

At around 1am, Han flicked through his cameras to complete a final sweep of Windsor before him himself clocked off for the night. His clicks paused on the feed from the common room and he found himself grinning at the screen. The room was stuffed with pillows and Windsor boys alike, all sprawled across the floor and any remotely comfortable surface.

On one end of the main couch, Kurt's head flopped backwards and his legs were stretched out across a bean bag while Blaine, wearing a massive hoodie, curled up against his side. Kurt's fingers were buried in Blaine's hair and Blaine's hand gripped onto the hem of Kurt's pyjama top.

Shane lay on his back at the other end with Reed on top of him, both boys wearing matching checked pyjamas. If anyone else were to be in such a position, Han would be concerned they would squish Shane. But Reed was so small compared to the dancer, and the way Shane's arms wrapped around him protectively suggested that Reed's weight was of no concern to either of them.

On the floor below them Evan and Ethan slept against the same beanbag, their legs tangled together as they stretched out across the floor and even though asleep, they seemed to consciously hold on to each other. Wes and David lay sprawled out across a mountain of pillows surrounded by popcorn (some of which had fallen out of their bowl, most of which had been thrown at them when they wouldn't stop quoting along with the movies). All four of them wore character t-shirts from their favourite comic books.

In the corner, Charlie had commandeered the main armchair and was huddled down under a huge blanket, looking incredibly comfortable despite being in the midst of such madness. Although he would never admit it, Charlie rather enjoyed movie nights in Windsor. Everyone would gather together and enjoy each other's company, and although the madness wasn't absent, it was at least minimised. He wasn't just the prefect of this mad house - he was also part of the family and he cared about the boys and loved their company, especially when he didn't have to push rules on them all. On nights like tonight when he could sit back, relax and laugh along with them made him realise the craziness was worth it when it meant he could be part of the Windsor family.

And on the floor by Charlie, Dwight had snuggled down into an oversized bean bag and clutched onto his pendant as he slept. He had snuck in during the second movie wearing a worn Supernatural shirt, and although he wasn't particularly interested in the plot, he was grateful for the company. Charlie had beckoned him over and gestured to the bean bag, whispering that he had kept it to the side in case Dwight decided to join. "I'm glad you popped in." he had said quietly when Dwight settled by him. Nothing more was said between them for the remainder of the night, but a small smile played on Dwight's lips as he watched over his friends who filled the room before him.

Han chuckled at how ridiculous they all looked, and used his control panel to shut down the giant projector that was still playing in the room. He shut off most of the lights too, careful not to disturb the sleeping pack, and then headed to bed. He _may_ have snuck a screenshot of the camera feed before he left, thinking that the moment was simply too sweet not to remember, but he wasn't going to admit to that any time soon.

* * *

 **Alright, so I admit that maybe that last part wasn't totally relevant to the plot here but I'm an absolute sucker for all my boys cuddling and being cute together even in their sleep. And I kind of wanted an excuse to write in Reed and Shane wearing matching pj's, so sue me.**


	4. Part 4

**Here we go! The final part.**

 **The song used here is Beam Me Up by P!nk, and I must have listened to it at least 100 times while writing this. I recommend you listen to the song before it appears in this chapter, then read the representation of it here. Then listen to it over and over and over.**

 **I hope you enjoy the last installment of Dwight's feelings!**

* * *

 **Part 4**

Something was definitely wrong with the mood in Windsor the following week. When Dwight finally emerged from his room following the marathon, everyone had greeted him with pleasantries, but didn't make too much of a fuss over the fact that he had been missing in action over the weekend. Although he was glad they weren't asking too many questions about his mood, as the week progressed it became more apparent to Dwight that he was being avoided by the main conspirators in the house.

Wes and David politely smiled at him in the kitchen one morning, but didn't say much and left soon after he arrived. The same happened when he saw Kurt and Reed at lunch, and the Twins all but turned on their heel and ran away when they saw him leave class. Even Shane, who was usually eager to talk to Dwight about the latest episode of Supernatural, packed up his books shortly after Dwight settled next to him in the library.

Even though Charlie dismissed his claims as paranoia, Dwight was starting to become concerned that he was missing an important piece to the puzzle. He had planned to confront the next suspect when he found them, but before he could come across any of them Dwight had received a text from Blaine asking him to meet in the common room later that evening. He had considered turning down the offer, in favour of a little private celebration in his room, but the part of him that wanted to confront Blaine and ask why he was being avoided by their friends confirmed he would be there.

That explains how Dwight found himself walking to the common room that evening, suspicious of the silence that filled the halls as he did. Blaine appeared from behind the huge wooden door before he could reach them and smiled at Dwight, gently closing the door behind him. Dwight thought he looked nervous, and reflexes made his fingers twitch toward his holy water spray bottle.

"Hey Dwight, it's good to see you." Blaine hesitated, licking his lips nervously before he spoke again, "Okay, so, the reason I asked you here is…I finished the song. And I wanted you to hear it. But…" Blaine trailed off at the expression on the other boys' face. "Dwight? Are you okay?"

Dwight stood in total shock. He stared at Blaine in amazement, wondering if he had heard him correctly, "You…you actually did it? I mean I know I asked you but I guess I didn't think you would actually…finish it." His voice was quiet and eyes wide.

Blaine laughed a little, rubbing the back of his neck anxiously, "Well, thing is…look, I know you're probably going to think I was out of line in doing this but…I hope you don't get mad. And I'm sorry if it's a step too far."

"What are you talking about Blaine?" Dwight asked, confused at his rambling. The voice that came from inside the common room only added to this.

" _Blaine would you stop rambling and just bring him in!_ " it sounded a little like Shane.

Blaine sighed and gestured to the door, "Just…come in and listen? Then you can react however you want. But I would like you to hear it first."

Still too confused to oppose, Dwight let Blaine lead him into the common room and was surprised at what he saw. Blaine walked over to join Kurt, Wes and David, Shane, Reed, and the Twins in the centre of the room, all beaming at him with happy faces.

"Sit down little Knight, we have something to show you." Evan said happily as he pointed to the couch. Dwight obliged and watched as the boys moved into a semicircle facing him, Blaine appearing in the middle holding his guitar.

Blaine looked at Dwight very intently as he spoke "You said you wanted Alan to be proud of the person you were today…and even though he can't be here to tell you that himself…" he gestured to the boys standing around him, and Wes continued the sentence.

" _We_ want to tell you that we're all proud of you. We love you Dwight. This one's for you and your brother." He smiled at Dwight and stood in line with his friends as Blaine started to strum the guitar, looking at Dwight as he sang.

 _There's a whole 'nother conversation going on,_

 _In a parallel universe._

 _Where nothing breaks and nothing hurts._

Dwight's breath caught in his throat as he heard Blaine sing the words he had been thinking of for weeks now, the soft sounds of his guitar filling the air.

 _There's a waltz playin' frozen in time_

 _Blades of grass on tiny bare feet_

 _I look at you and you're lookin' at me_

The world around them stopped, and all that mattered to Dwight in that moment was listening to the words and the music. He stared at Blaine in disbelief, pinching himself to check he was actually living this and not dreaming. Blaine played beautifully, and Dwight's chest thumped hard as images of his baby brother floated through his mind in time with the song.

 _Could you beam me up,_

 _Give me a minute, I don't know what I'd say in it_

 _I'd probably just stare, happy just to be there, holding your face_

 _Beam me up,_

 _Let me be lighter, I'm tired of being a fighter,_

 _I think a minute's enough,_

 _Just beam me up._

The expressions which floated over Blaine's face as he sang matched those Dwight was feeling, and he had to keep reminding himself to _just breathe_ when it became overwhelming. He was surprised when Kurt stepped forward to give Blaine's shoulder an encouraging squeeze, and took over singing, holding eye contact with Dwight as he picked up the next verse.

 _Saw a blackbird soarin' in the sky,_

 _Barely a breath I caught one last sight_

 _Tell me that was you sayin' goodbye,_

Evan and Ethan stepped forward next, and looked at Dwight as if they were holding back so much until they started to sing and express their emotions to him. They stood close to each other as they sang, reaching out to Dwight in a way he had never seen before.

 _There are times I feel the shiver and cold,_

 _It only happens when I'm on my own,_

 _That's how you tell me I'm not alone_

When the chorus came around again, and all the boys joined in to support Blaine's voice and guitar playing, Dwight couldn't hold back his emotions anymore. He closed his eyes briefly and swallowed around the hard lump in his throat.

 _Could you beam me up,.._

And when he opened them again, the tears began to fall.

 _Let me be lighter, I'm tired of being a fighter,_

 _I think a minute's enough,_

 _Just beam me up._

Watching his friends perform the song he had been working so hard to perfect brought Dwight immense warmth as he took in their expressions and the sounds of their voices together, and it made him think of Alan. He missed his brother so much it hurt. But what hurt more than the pain of missing him was the pain of thinking Alan wouldn't be proud of him. Dwight wanted to be the person his brother deserved, wanted to be able to express his love for his brother in a way others would understand. So although what Dwight did next was so unlike his usual behaviour, he liked the idea of it being a new part of him.

Dwight stood from the couch. He looked between all of his friends with teary eyes. He let out a steadying breath. And he began to sing.

 _In my head I see your baby blues_

 _I hear your voice and I, I break in two and now there's_

 _One of me, with you_

When Dwight successfully made it through the verse the rest of the boys broke out into giant smiles and moved to him as Blaine had a little fun with a music solo, strumming away happily as he watched his friends embrace Dwight. They hugged him tightly and patted him on the back, hiding their glistening eyes with smiles. Kurt released Dwight to Evan and Ethan, who wrapped an arm around him each, and he walked to the piano to get ready to play. Dwight was pulled into the middle of the room with Blaine as they all resumed singing passionately.

 _So when I need you can I send you a sign_

 _I'll burn a candle and turn off the lights_

 _I'll pick a star and watch you shine_

Dwight was overwhelmed by the whole experience, but the song sounded so amazing that he didn't want it to end. The boys smiled at each other happily and raised their voices higher in time with Kurt's piano playing as the end of the song approached, determined to fill the air with their love and support.

 _Just beam me up_

 _Give me a minute, I don't know what I'd say in it_

 _I'd probably just stare, happy just to be there, holding your face_

Reed stared at Shane as he sang with his emotions clear in his eyes - he was immensely proud of Shane for helping organise this. Despite only having become close with Dwight in the past few months, Reed was surprised at how much Shane had grown to care for him, and enjoyed watching their friendship blossom.

 _Beam me up,_

 _Let me be lighter, I'm tired of being a fighter,_

 _I think a minute's enough,_

 _Beam me up_

 _Beam me up_

 _Beam me up_

 _Could you beam me up._

As the song came to an end and the boys caught their breaths, Kurt re-joined the group and watched Dwight carefully, trying to gauge his potential reaction. Dwight stood in shock, struggling to remain composed and unsure what to do next. When he asked Blaine to write music for the song he had no idea Blaine would go to such lengths for him, and compose such a _beautiful_ tribute to his brother. He wasn't sure what he had done to deserve such great friends, but as he looked around at them Dwight felt eternally grateful to have them in his life. He wasn't mad at Blaine for involving them, he understood why, he just hadn't thought they would all care this much.

When Dwight didn't move or talk, the boys shifted nervously, wondering if they had crossed a line after all. Blaine placed his guitar on the couch and walked to Dwight, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder, "Dwight? Dwight are you-?"

Blaine was cut off mid-sentence as Dwight tugged him into a fierce hug, squeezing him so hard Blaine struggled to catch his breath, "Woah…alright…hey. Did you like it?" he asked nervously.

Dwight held him at arms-length and stared at him with wide eyes filled with fresh tears, "Did I like it? Blaine that was…I can't…you did…all of you…" he shook his head as he trailed off and hugged Blaine again. Feeling the taller boys' shoulders start to tremble with sobs, Blaine wrapped his arms around him and hugged him back in an attempt to provide comfort.

The others watched fondly, and David nudged Wes a little when he discretely wiped his eyes, gesturing to the rest of the boys doing the same. Like Wes had said before the song, they all cared greatly for Dwight, their little hunter, and would do anything for him. As they were so used to him giving off an air of strength and secrecy, seeing Dwight raw and open like this was an emotional experience for them all.

Reed swatted Shane away as he tried to dry the smaller boys' face with his sleeves and walked to the pair in the centre, pausing for a second before joining their hug. Kurt gave a watery smile and did the same, followed by Shane, and before they knew it they were all sharing a group hug and giving out shaky laughs through some tears.

In the middle of it all, Dwight took a shaky breath and lifted his head to smile at his friends, "Thank you. All of you. That was…the best tribute I could have asked for. Alan would have loved it. Thank you." They all smiled and hugged him a little tighter until he finally fought them off, "Alright, I get it, you all love me. Now let me go before I lose my intimidating nature."

That made the boys in the room laugh and lifted the mood a little. Dwight took a moment and looked to the ceiling, fingers tangling with the pendant around his neck and smiled, imagining Alan's glowing face and bright blue eyes. "Happy birthday, baby brother. I hope I made you proud."

David smiled and clapped Dwight on the shoulder, mimicking his movements, "Happy birthday Alan. It would have been a pleasure to know you." The rest of the boys nodded their agreement and whispered their birthday wishes, hoping that they could continue to ease the older brothers' pain in the future.

"Could you…could you tell us some stories about him, Dwight? I'd like to get to know him some more." Reed asked quietly after a moment, looking a little sheepish from under Shane's arm.

"That's a great idea Reed. We could make today all about him. Why don't you start with his reaction when you gave him his pendant?" Blaine said as he thought back to the precious photograph Dwight had shared with him. He sat on the couch with Kurt and laced their fingers together, hoping Dwight would open up some more.

Dwight laughed a little and sat on a nearby bean bag, "Alright. He had been bugging me for weeks about my pendant…" he began, preparing himself to proudly talk about his little brother for as long as his friends would listen.

From the doorway, Charlie watched the boys fondly, proud of what they had achieved. Admittedly he didn't know anything about their plan until he heard music coming from the room, but once he realised what was going on he didn't interrupt. Instead he decided to stay and watch the array of emotions that crossed Dwight's face as the others sang, finding that he too felt a lump in his throat as Dwight's tears began to fall and didn't stop until the boys had enveloped him in their giant hug. Charlie cared for Dwight too, as he did all his Windsors, but part of him had always had a soft spot for Dwight's particular branch of crazy.

When a smile was restored onto Dwight's face, and the other boys were giving him their undivided attention as he spoke, Charlie slipped out into the corridor to avoid being spotted. He dabbed at his eyes and also sent his wishes to Alan before he left.

"Don't worry, he's got plenty people here to watch out for him. Happy birthday, Alan.".

 _Fin._

* * *

 **If you have made it this far, I would like to thank you for taking time to read my work.**

 **Dwight Houston is a character who means more to me than I can logically explain, and reading and writing about him brings me great joy. For that I would like to thank CP Coulter for introducing him into my life with her fantastic work.**

 **I thoroughly hope you enjoyed reading this! And if so (or even if you didn't) leave a comment so I can thank you again!**

 **Keep on hunting.**


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